Not to say the 24-year-old can’t handle the spotlight. After all, the only reason the Lions are the defending champions is because Kishi stepped onto Japanese baseball’s biggest stage against the NPB’s most popular team and delivered.

Facing the Yomiuri Giants in last year’s Japan Series, Kishi pitched 14 scoreless innings — including a 10-strikeout complete game shutout in Game 4 — en route to being named the Series MVP.

This year started with a bit of disappointment after Kishi failed to make Japan’s final roster for the World Baseball Classic in February.

That setback hasn’t done much to derail the rising star, who has gotten off to a more than solid start to the regular season.

Through Monday’s games, in addition to being tied for the league-high in wins, he was tied with Tanaka for the lead in winning percentage (.875), third in innings pitched (71 1/3), seventh in ERA (2.91) and ninth in strikeouts (56).

Kishi may not be taking the world by storm with Darvish and Tanaka’s eye-popping numbers, but he’s keeping up with Japan’s elite pitchers in wins, the category that really counts. Which will be key if the Lions want to be roaring deep into the fall.

Mauled: Fukuoka Softbank Hawks closer Takahiro Mahara is having a tough time taming the Hanshin Tigers.

Nursing a one-run lead, Mahara gave up a sayonara two-run single to Tomoaki Kanemoto on Sunday as the Hanshin Tigers rallied to beat the Hawks 4-2 at Koshien Stadium.

“I gave it up as a result of my ability,” Mahara told reporters. “That’s my ability . . . and I feel sorry.”

It wasn’t the first time this season Mahara had been victimized by the Tigers in the ninth.

Wei Lin Ju homered in the ninth against Mahara on May 19, a game which would eventually end in a 1-1 12-inning tie.

“It was too high,” Mahara was reported as saying about the pitch after that game. “My careless pitch. I just couldn’t match up with him equally.”

In all, the Softbank hurler has given up four runs to the Tigers in 3 1/3 innings, the last three of which have proven to be costly. Mahara has a 10.80 ERA against Hanshin.

Hawks starter Toshiya Sugiuchi can relate to his teammate’s pain. The left-hander was in line to earn victories in both of the games in which the Tigers rallied against Mahara.